Thumb-controlled hand-held tool

A tool for wrapping a plurality of turns of a metallic conductor about a terminal, said tool comprising:

• a housing which includes a handle portion having a grip formed on a forward end thereof and a barrel having a wire-wrapping portion, said wire-wrapping portion including an opening for receiving a terminal about which a wire is to be wrapped and means mounted for rotation within said housing for wrapping a plurality of turns of a wire about the terminal which extends into said opening of said wire wrapping portion, said barrel being adapted to be held in a user's hand;
• a rest separate from said grip disposed laterally of said wire wrapping portion and connected to said handle portion said rest having a surface which is sufficiently close to a user's thumb for supportively engaging the user's thumb when the user's fingers engage the grip and a port which opens to said surface, said surface being configured to allow the thumb to cover and to uncover said port in a repetitive manner with insubstantial movement of proximal and distal phalanges of the thumb;
• and
• means connected to said port of said rest and to said means for wrapping and responsive to the covering and to the uncovering of said port with the user's thumb for causing said means for wrapping to be moved rotatably to wrap a plurality of turns of a wire about the terminal which is received in said opening of said wire-wrapping portion of said housing and for discontinuing the rotatable movement of said means for wrapping.